Animal-trap.



J. F. WINKLER.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1912.

1,039,001, Patented Sept. 17, 1912.

Arron/15m a citizen of the United States, and

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE;

.rosnrn r. 'wmxnnn, or DOLLAR BAY, MICHIGAN.

Amman-mar.

noe'aoor.

Specification or Ietters Patent. v Patented Sept. 17,1912. Application filed May 1, 1,912. Serial No. 694,327.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrrr F. Wmxncn, a resident of Dollar Ba in the county of I-Ioughton and State of ichigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Animal-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to animal traps of the striker type as shown in my formerPatent No. 1,014,550, and my present object is to provide a novel construction.

of stamped metal which will be inexpensive to manufacture, positive in its action, highly sensitive, and durable in use.

A further ob'ect of my invention is to provide a novei construction whereby the setting-of the trap may be rendered automatic in so far as the engagement of the striker and its latch. v

A still further object of my invention is to provide a supporting base and a baitcarrier, each of which is a novel and simple construction with the particular urposes in view to economize in meta promote strength and durabilit and to enablethe operator to move'the bait carrier into engagement with the latchmember, when setting the trap, without danger of his fingers being caught by the striker, 3

Further objects and the advantages, of

my present invention will be apparent from, the ollowing description in which referenceis made to the accompanying drawing, forming part-of this specificatlon and in which,

Figure 1 is a illustrating the parts set and ready for operation; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section therethrough; and Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the latch member.

Referring now to these fi res, the base A of my improved trap is su stantially rectangular in form, its sides being provided with flanges a upstanding therealong, and its rear end being provided with s aced upstanding flanges a. The' forwar end 0 the base A- is-provided with recesses a which, in the practical operation of continuous stam ing, are formed by the rear end flantgles a of the next adjacent base. With-- m e recesses a, the forward end of the base is provided with iipstanding flanges a. The side flanges q o the base A serve to which are respectively arranged at a cenperspective view of the trap,

s5 iipport the ends of transverse shafts B, and,

end of the base, the central shaft B serving as a pivot or fulcrum for the striker D, the latter bein formed of a strip of metal bent to U- ape in order to provide a cross bar, the intermediate portion (l of which is tensions which are provided with intermediate oifsets d having recesses 03 for the reception of the respective ends of the actuatmg springsE, said springs being coiled about the shaft B upon opposite sides of the bait-carrier F, and having their opposite ends disposed to bear upon the upper surface of the base plate A and maintained struck up from the said base plate.

The bait-carrier F is lar side wings f having openings through which the shaft B extends. The bait-carrier is also provided'with an integral ton ue f struck downwardly therefrom in or er'to constitute a support for the bait and for the purv ose of forming a triangular recess f in t e' bait-carrier, into the large end of which the bait is inserted and then moved ported on the tongue f, it is engaged by the converging sides of the recess f The latch member G comprises a flat ta-. poring arm, the forward narrow end g of Which is adapted for engagement beneath the lower ed eof the bait-carrier, as shown in Fig. 1, and disposed between the rear upstanding flanges in Figs, 1 and 2. Adjacent this latter end, thelatch member is provided with substantially parallel longitudinal slits, forming an integral tongue 9. The portions of the latch member upon opposite sides of the tongue are crimfied upwardly at a in order to form, with t e said ton no 9, a bearing through which the shaft passes order to constitute a ivot for the latch member. The end of t e tongue 'g'is bent. up-

gularly and'substantially parallel with the latch arm, and is thus. so disposed that when the striker D is lowered for the purpose of setting the trap, the twisted portion (2 of her upon its pivot to an extent suflicient to perm1t of the engagement of that portion of the striker beneath the tongue; When this has been accomplished, it 1s merely necestwisted to an inclined position, and side ex-' wardly and its extremity'in turn bent an the striker engages the an ular extremity of the said tongue 9 and roc s the latch memagainst displacement by integral lugs a provided with anguforwardly so that in addition to being supthe rear broad end of which is a of the supporting base, as clearly shown sary for the operator to gras the base A from beneath, by means of lllS thumb and middle finger upon the side flanges a, and 4 insert his index finger upwardly through an opening a in the base A, and move the baitcarrier F to a horizontal position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in order to engage the free end 9 of the latch arm beneath its lower edge. The trap is then set ready for the insertion of bait to be retained by the sides of the recess f and the holding tongue f. Thus depression of the bait-carrier F and its consequent rocking movement tends to release the latch arm which, in turn, releases the striker D and the latter is then free to move under actuation of the springs E in accordance with the showing in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

When the trap has been sprung, the cross bar of the striker D will engage the base A at a point just forward of the flanges a of the latter, which flanges thus cooperate to hold an animal which may have been caught. It will be further noted from the particular shape of the bait-carrier F, that the latter may be formed of the section of material which is stamped from the supporting base A in order to provide the opening a before mentioned.

I claim 1. A trap, comprising a supporting base having spaced upstanding flanges at its opposite ends, shafts supported on said base, a spring-actuated striker pivoted on one of said shafts, a latch member engageable with the said striker, said latch member being pivoted on the other shaft and having a portion extending between, and guided by, the flanges at one end of. the base, and a bait carrier engageable with the latch member, the said flanges at the opposite end of the base cooperating with the striker for the purpose described.

2. A trap comprising a supporting base having upstanding flanges along its sides and provided at one end with spaced upstanding flanges, shafts supported by the said side flanges, a spring actuated striker pivoted on one of said shafts, a bait-carrier pivoted on the same shaft with the striker, and a latch member pivoted upon the other of said shafts, said latch member having portions engageable with the striker and with the said bait-carrier and also having a portion disposed between, and guided by, the said end flanges of the said supporting base.

3. A trap comprising a supporting base having side flanges,-a shaft supported by said side flanges, a spring actuated striker pivoted on said shaft, a bait-carrier also pivoted on the said shaft, a latch member adapted for engagement at one end with the said bait-carrier, said latch member being longitudinally slit-ted adjacent its opposite end whereby to provide a central tongue and side portions upon opposite sides of the tongue which are crimped or bent in the same direction, and a second shaft supported by the side flanges of the base and extending beneath the said crimped side portions of the latch member and over the said tongue, the said tongue of said latch member being bent upwardly at one side of the last-mentioned shaft and provided with an angular extremity for engagement with the said striker.

JOSEPH F. WINKLER. W'itnesses:

JAMES C. DUNSTAN, JOHN B. ALAIN. 

